The Last Empress: Episode 9 and 10 Live Recap

Buckle up, because no one knows what is going to happen today. Literally. We left off with Yura doing the nasty with the Emperor while he was getting a couple massage with his new wife, the Queen. Yes, that is a thing that is happening in this show. Not only was that in the last episode, it was the cliffhanger! Only a screen separates the two, so let’s see if they get found out.

How we do this: We update the post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, there might be lovely updates at the bottom, so check back in!

KOREAN DRAMA THE LAST EMPRESS RECAP EPISODE 9+10
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#1
OPENING
Yura sneaks into the couple massage and taps the Emperor on the back. He is surprised to see her and looks over at Suni. But he lets Yura kiss all over him as Suni talks to him on the other side of the screen.

But she wonders why Hyuk is not answering and gets up to go to his side. Yura sneaks out. Suni apologizes when she sees Hyuk stand up. he tells her that he has a meeting, he has to leave. Then he sends Yura a signal to come to him.

The two of them walk outside together, happily. THe grandmother sees them walking together and wonders why they have left already, the couple date should nto be over now. But then you see Grandma Jo’s mind working, it looks like she is putting two and two together.

The next day, Sojin is at the department store happily looking at all the items. But then the Emperor comes in and tells Sojin that he is there to check the department store. Sojin looks at Oh Helro and asks her why she did not tell her. Helro tells her that she did, she called her several times. Then seh shows her her phone. HR then tells the Emperor all the statistics about the department store. They had a 7% increase in business, but compared to other department store and what they invested, its not satisfactory.

The Emperor looks at his sister and leaves. Scene changes to Hyuk asking Yura about the palace business and how she likes it. She says that she did not know that it was this big. He tells her that what she saw today is only 1/10th of their royal business, think about what you can run in it.

Yura smiles but then gets a call, it is Wnag-sik. he asks her if she is with his majesty. She says no, lets see each other now. he tells her that he has a lot to tell her. Hyuk asks if this is her close friend? She says yes, it is the friend that she is looking for, for a long time.

BOOKSTORE
Wang-sik sees Yura at the bookstore and starts to walk to her, but he bumps into Piljoo. That makes him look around. he noties a lot of secret service people around so he decides to not approach Yura and gives a not to a kid to give to ehr instead.

Note: You are wire tapped, be careful, I will contact you later.

Yura stands up in alarm and looks around. The secret service (or thug?) guys run around looking for him. But Wang-sik is long gone.
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#2
PALACE
Yura gets all pretty in the palace, this looks like it will be her and Hyuks first night together? She is all dolled up and waiting prettily for him. Outside, Yura shows up to the door. She sees Wang-sik but does not know it is Wang-sik. he tells her that he has something to tell her.

Yura tells Suni that Hyuk cannot make it tonight, he is busy. Tonight the will sleep in his room. She hopes Suni is not disappointed. Then she asks WS what he wanted to tell her. he tells her that is is not important and he can tell her later. She walks off. WS looks at Suni so she asks him why he is looking at her like that? Are you laughing at me? Yes, I am ditched by my husband on our first night Okay!

She huffs back inside her room. Wang-sik is all like, what in the world? But then he looks at his gun?

Elsewhere, Hyuk walks around his room. Wang-sik walks to Hyuks room and inspects the guards.

Wang-sik breaks into the room quietly. He is able to go right to the Kings bedside. He is sleeping. WS takes a moment and then puts a silencer on his gun. He holds it right to the King. But then Yura’s head comes from under the sheets and curls up to Hyuk. She is asleep also.

Outside, Suni knocks on Hyuks door and asks if he is there, your highness? Are you there, your highness?

He hops up and goes outside just in time to stop Suni from coming into his bedroom. he tells her that he was asleep. Suni tells him that all the citizens know that he works this hard. Yura wakes up and listens to their conversation. Suni tells Hyuk that they rarely see each other after they got married. Suni hears a sound and is about to look around him.

Hyuk keeps her from looking past him and tells her that they should go to her room. Behind them, Yura is making noise on purpose. Hyuk takes Suni all the way back to her room and walks inside with her. But now they are there togehter so they should spend the night together.

Hyuk looks like this is messed up and wonders what he should do. He picks up Suni, who is beaming, and throws her onto the bed. Then he wonders what he should do with her, he does not really want to kiss her. She tells him to turn off the light so he reluctantly does and starts kissingn her.

In his bedroom, Yura starts breaking all the photos and other things of Suni and Hyuk. She also cuts herself with the glass and bleeds all over the floor. But the phone rings. It is hyuk. She asnwers, he tells her that he called becuase he worried aout what she would think, are you angry? She smiles and says that she is not angry, do not worry abotu me and sleep well.

She hangs up smiling, but then the sile drops as she looks at the marriage photo of Hyuk and Suni. She drew a bloody heart around them.

Wang-sik is still hiding in plain site in the room. He notices Yura’s bag as she walks out, it is the same bag that he saw on the island. Now everything is making sense to him.
——-dramamilk.com——-
#3
MORNING
Hyuk wakes up to Suni’s beaming face. it is shock to him as she says, good morning! he hops up and wonders what she is doing. She tells him that she can’t believe that he is next to her, it is like she is dreaming. When you sleep it is like a painting. I could not sleep all night. Someone calls, breakfast off screen so Hyuk yells, YES, BRING IN BREAKFAST.

Cut to mama kang drinking her tea outside and talking to her secretary. The secretary says that their first night went well. But then Umma starts to talk about how they need to make it look suspicious with Yura and the incident if there is nothing suspicious.

Then we see Kang’s head secretary meeting a man in a car. He asks her if he should lie? She tells him that he should not lie, he should just make it the truth. It looks like this all involves the wedding day. She offers him a lot of money to say something about the crane. But then we cut to the pen, it looks like it is a recording pen.

Meanwhile, back at the palace, Suni meets with Grandmother Jo and gives her a gift. Jo eats it and tells her that this is the generational taste of their secret recipe in the palace (advertisement).

Elsewhere in the palace, Yura opens Wang-siks mail with Hyuk. they are both nervous.

Note: It looks like you are happy and healthy, I am happy for you. Please keep your health and happiness for a long time. – Wang-sik.

Hyuk and Yura both jump. Inside is a picture of Wang-sik and his mother.

Hyuk throws Piljoo onto his desk and holds a gun to his head. Piljoo tells him that he will bring his dead body to him. Outside, Wang-sik hears it all. they talk about the dead body and everything. Wang-sik starts to tear up with angry tears because Yura said she took care of the dead body.

VO – Min Yura, how can you do this? How can you ruin my mothers dead body! Yura!

Flashback to the island. Wang-sik goes home and sees Yura, he yells at her and asks how she can leave the house after they raised her! But she shows her stomach, she is super pregnant. She has the baby, Yura tells the mother to just throw him away. But the mother says that he is listening, dont say that about a new baby. I will raise this baby. if your mother was alive then she would do the same thing. You can call me Umma, your mother and were like sisters. If we worry what the neighborhs will think, we can just move somewhere else.

Yura starts crying. Umma tells her not to cry. If her daughters life is on the line, then anyone can do the same. Wang-sik shows up to the hospital. Umma tells him that this baby is his new brother. Wang-sik accepts him right away.
——-dramamilk.com——-
#4
The family moves to the island in the middle of the night (?). Wang-sik changes the babies diaper and is an all around great surrogate brother. Yura is pissed about the noie though. She is trying to study to go to college. Once he puts the baby to sleep (dong-sik) Wang-sik tells Yura that he will take care of her and Dong-sik. They kiss. he tells her that she can keep studying, fighting!

It looks like Yura is actually happy to have Wang-sik on her side.

But in the present, Wang-sik is destroyed at everything he just heard. He starts to walk away, crying. But then he pulls out his gun and turns around. however, he gets his mind right and heads out again.

The little princess walks into the area and runs into the New Queen and the Emperor, she tells her that she looks so pretty and shiny. The little princess keeps saying a lot of nice things about the Queen and says that she heard the have a lunch date. It is your official schedule so of course I should know your schedule. I will attend your parties one day. I learn English and French in the mornings and Spansh and Chinese in the evening…

The nanny tells Ari that the King should not be kept, he has important things to do. Then the nanny bows as the King says that they need to leave. Suni tells the princess that it is nice to see her again and then happily walks off.

They walk through the door to a large group of people who are attending this event. Camera’s flash all around and everyone claps. The Emperor puts on his King face and thanks everyone for celebrating their wedding together. He toats to a strong empire and relationship with other countries.

Yura is there as well. Hyuk asks Suni to great everyone, she is pretty nervous so Hyuk says that Yura can do it. But Suni says that she can do it and starts to greet everyone. Yura translates everything into English. Suni tells them that she should have studied English more in school if she new that she would be speaking in front of everyone. She would like to great everyone in hr own way.

She starts to sing the traditional song Arirang. Everyone is happy, her voice sounds so pretty, like an angel. But then the techno music starts as Yura grabs the mic and starts singing a new techno version of Arirang. She also sings it in severl other languages. People get up and stars dancing around as Suni keeps singing the song. Everyone watching on the TV loves it.

This is a big party with club music flashing all around. But it is still sophisticated, no booty dancing here. They all take a photo together, the Emperor looks happy as they all throw up finger hearts for the camera. Only Yura looks unhappy.

END PART ONE
——-dramamilk.com——-
#5
ISLAND
Wang-sik goes back to the island on his bike and wearing a mask. He looks at his mothers restaurant and sees a memory of his mother working hard in the restaurant and then yelling at him to come inside. What are you doing out there! He starts to cry as he thinks of this, but then gets it together as he goes to another thug location and starts beating up all the thugs outside.

he gets rid of the CCTV and fights everyone there until they are all knocked out on the ground. Then he goes inside to the thug headquarters with a goldf club and starts destroying the place. he even breaks the fish tank. Then he burns a document that is all about redeveloping the island. he looks in the mirror and sees the Emperor and Yura sleeping together. he throws somthing at the mirror and then yells that he will kill them all! He will kill them all! he collapses and cries in rage. His eyes are blood red as he yells all their names.

MOUNTAIN HOUSE
Wang-sik gets back to the ohuse in the mountains. Dong-sik runs out and greets his brother with a big hug. Byun asks why he is there without notice. But Wang-sik just pulls his brother away. hey go for a walk in the mountains. DS asks if he is leaving with him now? Wher are we going?

Wang-sik tells him to sit there on a rock. then Wang-sik stats to leave. But his brother asks him where he i going and hops up. Wang-sik tells him not to move, just listen to me! He has tears in his eyes. His brother says okay, he will wait for him, then he walks back and sits on the rock.

Meanwhile, Pil-joo realizes that his place got destroyed.

Wang-sik gets back to Byun’s house and tells him that he does not have to care about Dong-sik anymore. Byun is all like, what are you talking about? Wang-sik starts crying and says that he does not know what to do.

It starts raining. Byun and Wang-sik sit and talk. Byun tries to use reverse psychology to go back and get his brother even though they aren’t related by anything. Wang-sik tells him to shut up, then he runs off and walks with an umbrella. But he catches feelings and runs to find his little brother.

he finds his little brother shivering and yells at him. What are you doing here! The little brother is all like, you told me to sit here? But Wang-sik just yells at him, what if I didn’t come back! DS tells him that he came back, so it is okay. WS hugs him and starts balling.

——-dramamilk.com——-
#6
Wang-sik brings his little brother back. Later on, Byun sits next to a sleeping Wang-sik and wonders how a good guy like this can survive in the palace.

Cut to WS running outside with the other palace guards in formation. Tey talk about Hyuk’s sword skills and how good they think he is. Also, one of them will cover the night shift of the other

Meanwhile, Piljoo shows up and talks to the head palace guard. He says he is still looking for Wang-sik, he is huge so he should be easy to spot. Let me know if you see anyone suspicious. He also asks who Wang-sik is who is running. The head guy says that is Chon Woo-bin.

PALACE
Meanwhile, Yura and Umma talk in that way thta they do. Umma throws out some insults and then leaves, but then Yura plays the recording that the secretary had with the crane operator. Umma stops in her tracks and listens to the entire thing. Then the doors open to the gate and the Emperor comes out.

YR – Did you hate me that much? How can you make someone lie and falsy accuse me?
Hyuk – How can you do that and make her the criminal!

Umma runs to Hyuk and says that she brought the Queen in, she should not hurt the Queen. Yura tells her that she did it to blame her. If the internal investigation team knows about it, it is a big deal.

Hyuk tells her that she is cold in front of sin. Even though you are my mother, you cannot avoid committing a crime. You know the palace rules. Yura tells him thta she is her mother, at least. Umma snaps at Yura to shut up. But then Grandmother Jo comes out and asks what is going on.

Umma tells Yura that they can talk about it later. But Yura tells Grandmother Jo that she has something to talk about with the crane incident. Cut to Yura sitting with Grandmother Jo in Jo’s place. Yura says that the accident was done by anti palace people to collapse the palace, it has onothing to do with Kang.

Jo thinks, yeah, she should not be that bad. But then she remembers Yura walking happily with the King. She asks Yura why she is not married, a lot of people should want to be with you. I can untroduce you to someone. Yura thanks her but says that she wants to serve the emperor and empress.

Outside, the secretary is bowing in front of kang and says that this is her fault. Kang says it is not her fault, she should not have taken the situation so lightly.

In the distance, Hyuk watches his mother and her maid. He is talking to Piljoo. It looks like Hyuk is the one that asked Piljoo to cut that crane! Hyuk tells him that he needs to keep it quiet from Yura also, that I ordered you to do it. Piljoo says, of course, your highness. Hyuk tells him that he needs to prove himself in this way at least, becasue he did not find Wang-sik’s body yet.

he looks at his mother in the distance and smiles *evil smile*.
——-dramamilk.com——-
#7
PALACE
Kang asks Yura what she wants. Yura says that she wants the rights to the Royal shoppng mall. Umma tells her that the princess is taking care of it. But Yura says that there is no hope with the princess taking care of it. If they increase 50% sale next month, can I have shares in it? kang thinks she is crazy. But Yura says that she is telling her that she will raise the company. 10% share is nothing. You will see thta I am very smart.

She leaves, kang thinks she is a crazy girl and wonders what the new Quen is doing now. Where is she.

Cut to Suni singing “nam nam nam nam nam nam nam” as she does squats and think thta she is getting fat. The little princess comes in and tells her that she was so cool singing Arirang yesterday! that was soo cool that I was going to cry! I want to learn how to sing it! I have a present for you!

She turns to her maid to bring the gift. But the maid forgot it. the little princess gets upet and yells to her nanny to get it. Suni tells the little princess that she should not yell at her nanny like that. CHildren should not yell at their elders. But the nanny sticks up for the princess and says that seh is the only dauhter of the grandmother. The nanny is pretty cold. She pulls the princess away lightly but the princess just yells at her some more.

Sunny gets a chll and wonders how the nanny can be so cold.

Cut to Suni and Grandma Jo yelling at each other, but then we find out that they are actually playing Go Stop. It looks like Grandma Jo is losing, even though she cheats by putting cards in her hair. Suni tells her that she is just like a gambler, they need to play again. Are you hiding anything under your skirt!

The grand queen, Kang, walks by.

Cut to Suni meeting with kang. Kang reminds Suni that the Queen should maintain her dignity at all times. You need to maintain your charm and dignity at all times. Suni says that she is not good at faking things. But then she says that she will prepare for a trip.

Elsewhere, the emperor sword fights with his Royal guards. He beats them all and says that they are all bad. Who’s next!

Flshback to the mountain.
Byun – Lee Hyuk’s favorite thing is sword fighting, so if you want him to look at you first, this is the only way.

Cut back to the Emperor.

Wang-sik comes up to challenge him and the two turn into cartoon images of each other as if this is Street Fighter battle. Wang-sik holds his own and actually breaks Hyuks sowrd.

Hyuk gets another sword and then pulls it ou and gieves Wang-sik one as well. their cartoon characters start fighting, Hyuk looks crazy evil with his tongue sticking out like venom. They keep fighting. Wang-sik looks like the hero and dos a final blow to the emperor, but he misses on purpose. Hyuk hits him and puts the sword to his neck.

Hyuk – Who taught you sword fighting? It looks familiar to me.
WS – I just learned it at the Hogwan in preparing for the exam. If we hace another chance, I want to challenge you again.

The head bodyguard comes up and says, how dare you, then he turns to Hyuk and says that he will fire him. But Hyuk likes this guys gumption. He likes his eyes and competitiveness, he is a real man.

Hyuk – is your name Chon Woo-bin? I want you to be my personal trainer partner.
WS – It is my honor, your highness.
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#8
Meanwhile, Yura looks at Suni and Hyuk’s wedding photo on the wall. Then Suni comes in with a lot of things from her shopping spree. Yura talks to ehr about that and how it looks like Hyuk loves her a lot. She pours her a tea.

Suni asks her what Yura knows about Hyuk after serving him for a long time. Tell me all that he likes. Yura says that she does not know his personal tastes, but she can tell you some things that are in her mind.

Later on, Grandmtoher Jo talks about how the Korean peoples love to the royal family has increased so much due to Suni’s good impression when she sang Arirang. She is talking to Kang and Hyuk about it. Yura is in the background an says that China would like Hyuk and Suni to visit. Grandma thinks that is a good idea and looks forward to Hyuk and Sunmi being together.

Yura gives Hyuk a little touch thta grandma Jo sees. They both go to a room on the side to talk about how much they love each other and miss each other. But Yura says that he should go to the Queen tonight, he should not make her wait too long. he goes to Suni.

But Grandmother hears it all and asks Yura what she saw and heard! tell me! She pulls the ornament from her hair and throws it at the mirror, it sticks into the mirror like a knife.

Hyuk goes to Suni. Music is playing but it reminds him too much of his ex-wife so he tells her to change the music. Yura changes it to another song that his wife also liked. He thinks about dancing with his wife. He wants Yura to turn off the music. She turns it off but then she presents Hyuk with his favorite food. this is the food that his wife used to give to him. he is reminded too much of his wife.

he throws the food away and yells at Suni! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! ARE YOU PRETENDING TO BE LIKE SOMONE! He storms out but she follows him and wants to know wha she did wrong. he shakes her off, she falls to the ground.

Wang-sik is there to pick her up, he asks her if she is okay, my Queen.

Suni turns and looks at him.

He puts his jacket around her and looks at her.

Fade Out
——-dramamilk.com——-

COMMENTS
This drama starts as a thriller and then moves to a comedy and then a melo and then a revenge and somehow turns into an anime and then another melo. That is all in one episode y’all. I love it.

Thanks for recapping this!
I want to ask an unrelated question; I know this is not the right place, but I’m not sure where to post it either. Do you know of a site(s), where all photoshoots and photos of public appearances (awards etc) of all korean actors and actresses are stored and organized? Kinda like https://www.chinaentertainmentnews.com/ for c-actors,where you can just click on any article and you will see all the images in high quality.
Example link: https://www.chinaentertainmentnews.com/search?q=liu+tao
I’m sorry if it’s tiring, I just can’t seem to find anything organized anyhere, just scatterd photos and I was hoping you would know something.

psst!

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